NRF 2018: Apple Pay VP on the rise of mobile

Apple Pay’s vice president of internet services, Jennifer Bailey, painted a picture of an increasingly mobile retail landscape in the years ahead, during a presentation at the National Retail Federation (NRF) Big Show.

She told delegates that US online sales via mobile will overtake those made on desktop by 2021, and that in China 80% of eCommerce is already conducted via mobile.

Some 87% of time spent on an iPhone is spent in apps, she said, also reminding people that mobile traffic has already surpassed that on PC.

Bailey spent some time highlighting the growth of Apple Pay, since its inception just over three years ago, saying it has moved from being used in 3% of US retail locations in the early days to over 50% of retail stores in the country.

67 of the top 100 retailers in the US provide the payment service in store for their customers, while 85 of top 100 global commerce mobile apps accept Apple Pay, according to the VP.

Talking about the wider retail industry, Bailey commented: “We know our physical store experiences are critical to our businesses, and we know the foundation of great retailing is great people, great product and great services.

“What is changing in the new era of mobile is that mobile technologies can also help us transform how you create new experiences in our physical stores.”

?In terms of companies using Apple and mobile technology in innovative ways, Bailey referenced Wayfair for its augmented reality deployment, Sephora for offering biometric identification services, and Warby Parker for using the camera technology to recommend glasses without the need for customers to try on the item first. Walgreens was also namechecked as a good example of a mobile loyalty scheme.